My Hero Academia: Cat Nap Tails
by Black Fuego Rio
Summary: Shoto Aizawa and Shino Sosaki. Eraserhead and Mandalay. Two pro heroes that have grown close over time thanks to the friendship of Eri and Kota. What kind of fun do these two have whenever they're together? It most likely involves naps and talk about cats and their wards, but they still enjoy themselves nevertheless.
1. Chapter 1

Hello, Heroes! Welcome to Cat Nap Tails, my new project for My Hero Academia! It's a little something that's been in the works for a little bit and with a little prompting from some friends in Discord, I manage to whip this little starting piece for the work. This is the beginning of a collections of oneshots akin to Green Tea Tales and Domestic Heroes, but unlike those, this one is going to be focusing on the pair Shoto Aizawa and Shino Sosaki, AKA Eraserhead and Mandalay. I've come to appreciate this ship a lot lately, especially after the confirmation of Aizawa being Eri's caretaker and the little angel now residing in UA. This first piece here is a short and simple one, but hopefully it's still enjoyable enough to read. With that said, have a good time, Heroes and I will see you all in the author's notes!

Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction in dedication to a much grander work. As such, the author does not own the rights to any characters within this story, and any correlation between any original characters that may appear and people in the real world are merely coincidental.

My Hero Academia: Cat Nap Tails

"Actually… I just missed you."

"Hmm… Looks like the kids have been improving somewhat. That's good. With all that's been happening ever since All Might's final fight, they'll need to get as strong as they can in order to defend themselves."

Aizawa let off a tired sigh in his desk at the teacher's lounge as he shifted through his paperwork regarding his students; grading their papers and evaluating their performance records to see how well they were doing on their studies. For the past few weeks he has been working his students hard in order to make sure that they were ready for the trials that he _knew_ were going to happen. After everything that has happen in the past few months alone, from the attack at the USJ to the incident with Endeavor and the strange Nomu he faced, the erasure hero, along with the rest of the staff, were not taking any chances. They doubled down on the practical lessons for their students and collaborated more with the other schools like Isamu Academy and Shiketsu High to make sure that all the future heroes will be ready for anything…

"Hmm… Looks like Uraraka's grades and overall abilities have been improving as of late. And Midoriya's finally learning a bit of self control and not trying to break himself every training session. Interesting," The man mused as he stared at the paper that held the statistics of the two heroes-in-training, a hint of a smirk on his face as he shook his head. "Seems like their newfound relationship has helped them improve in certain areas. That's good. I was a little worried that they might lose focus on their training and duties in favor of exploring themselves, but it seems I had nothing to worry about. Here's hoping the others follow that example if they ever decided to get into a relationship themselves."

The man let off a soft chuckle as he began going through his papers again. He didn't really find anything wrong with having a relationship per-say, but he knew that heroes rarely, if ever, led lives stable enough for one. Hero business was a dangerous one, after all, and more often than not, those who are together with one will end up dealing with the fact that their significant others had a responsibility for people other than them, a responsibility that they may very well die for. It was a harsh reality, sadly, and the pair knew that very well, but they were still willing to make their relationship work despite it and not allow their feelings cloud their judgement while on duty. It was commendable, admittedly, and he could easily see the two remaining together even after graduation…

"...Here's hoping that those two don't end up like Water Hose. They're strong, but anything can happen. I hope they're prepared for the consequences should the worst happen." The man muttered somberly as he let off a deep sigh, recalling a certain child who's lost their parents at a very young age on the line of duty. A child who, as of late, started appearing frequently after meeting and befriending his ward when his aunt and her teammates arrived for a visit.

* _knock knock*_

"Hello? Aizawa? It's Sosaki. May I come in?"

 _Speak of the devil…_ Aizawa mused, a hint of an amused smile on his face before quickly vanishing as he turned his head towards the entrance. "Go ahead. The door's open."

"Thank you, Aizawa. I'm coming in."

The erasure hero nodded wordlessly before turning his attention back to his papers, hearing the lounge door open and even bothering looking up when he felt a presence standing beside him. It was only when he felt the couch sag a little did he turn his head slightly to see the casual form of Shino Sosaki, also known as Mandalay of the Pussy Cats, making herself comfortable while holding a small paper bag.

"Hey. Heard from Thirteen that you were in here working on your student reports, so I thought I drop by to give you something to snack on. I remember you saying you like this stuff, so I picked some up on the way here," The cat-woman said with a gentle smile as she handed the stoic man the bag, who accepted it with a grateful nod before rummaging through it.

"...Salty licorice. Haven't had this in a while. Thanks, Sosaki." Aizawa said before he began munching on the candy stick, returning back to his work as he saw Shino relax into the couch from the corner of his eye.

"Don't mention it. Consider it thanks for introducing little Eri to Kota. The two have gotten along really well since they first met and he almost always begs me to bring him here so that he could play with her. It's really sweet, if you ask me," Shino said kindly while leaning back, letting off a relaxed sigh as she did so.

"Think nothing of it. I should be thanking you instead for bringing Kota in the first place. Eri needs friends her age and while your nephew is still fairly abrasive, he's a good kid who will no doubt help her grow as time goes on. The two were bound to meet up eventually due to their shared admiration to Midoriya, anyways, so it didn't hurt to expedite the process," Aizawa stated with a shrug, hearing his seatmate hum in agreement.

The two of them have gotten fairly close in recent times thanks to Kota and Eri's newfound friendship, and Aizawa could honestly say that he enjoyed the time he spent with her. The two have quite a bit in common and would often spend their freetime together either chatting aimlessly about cats, their wards, or even nap, which the man was more than happy to do. He found her presence both enjoyable and soothing, and even though they haven't really interacted much in the past, he could honestly say that the telepath beside her was a pretty good friend and was...pleasant to be around with.

 _'I think you're pleasant to be around too, Aizawa.'_

Aizawa couldn't help but jump at the sound of a familiar voice echoing his head. He was quick to recompose himself, but the sound of giggling did make an eye twitch in irritation.

"Sorry, Aizawa. I could tell what you were thinking and I couldn't help but respond to you like that. You don't get frightened easily so seeing you jump like that was a treat in it of itself," The telepath stated with much murth in her tone, her eyes shining in amusement even as Aizawa glared back at her for her actions.

"...Don't tell Hizashi what you saw and I promise to take you to that cat cafe you like whenever you want. Deal?"

"Deal." Shino nodded, a cheeky grin on her face as Aizawa let of a disgruntled sigh.

"So… Any particular reason why you're here for a visit outside of dropping off candy for me? Kota should be in school right now and Eri's off with Midoriya and Uraraka in the city. I would've thought you'd be out with your comrades enjoying your time off or something instead of hanging out with me."

"Well…there's no real reason, actually. I just missed you." Shino confessed, causing Aizawa to turn to her with a quirked eyebrow as he waited for her to continue. "I've come to like and appreciate our friendship as of late and I have actually been thinking of more ways for us to hang out on our free time. We don't really have much time off together, so I want to make the few times we are able to meet up memorable, even if it's just to talk or nap, which we both know we'd more than enjoy. I know you like spending time together as well, I can see it in your eyes, so if you don't mind me asking, can I take you up on your offer and ask you to come with me to the cat cafe next time we have time off together?"

Aizawa stared at the woman beside him with a slight look of surprise on his face, not expecting her to be so forward. Then again, he suppose he should've expected it. The two of them have been spending a lot of time together and he really did enjoy her company. They were initially mere acquaintances at first, but recent events have made their relationship evolve into a relatively close friendship, one that he was starting to treasure alongside others that he made over time. He wasn't exactly sure where it will go or how long it will last, especially with the rise of villain attacks and Nomu appearances as of late, but he supposed that it would be worth the effort to spend a bit more time with her in the future.

He doubt he would find another friend who likes cats and naps as much as he did anyways…

"Sure. Just let me know when you want to go and I'll inform you if I'm available. Hizashi's been wanting me to go out more anyways, so hopefully this will shut him up for at least a little while." Aizawa agreed with a shrug, digging in on another licorice stick as Shino let off a gentle laugh.

"Sounds about right. Him and Kayama might misinterpret our outing as a date as well, knowing them," Shino pointed out, causing a groan to escape from the man.

"I can hear them making assumptions already. How many times do I have to tell them that I am not in a position to date before it sinks in? We barely have time to go to the bar these days with how busy we've been and now I'm pretty much a father to not only a bunch of superpowered teenagers, but also a little girl that can rewind a person out of existence. I'm too busy to do anything at this point…" The man admitted, letting of an annoyed sigh as Shino placed a hand on his shoulder in a supportive manner.

"There, there. Hopefully things will slow down soon. Then you can relax and nap to your heart's content," The telepath said in a comforting tone before looking down at the papers curiously. "You know, I still have a bit of time before I have to back to the others. Do you mind if I help you out with your evaluations? Kota's been telling me about your students and I supervised their training a couple times whenever I visit. Maybe I can offer some input."

"I would like that. Thanks." Aizawa said, shifting a few papers over to Shino to get her started before returning to his current paperwork with a slight smile on his face.

With that, the two went to work in comfortable silence, talking every so often for advice and suggestions. It was mundane for the most part, but it worked for them. They were both friends and professionals, after all, so they didn't need much. Whether or not it will grow into something more only time will tell, but for now, they were content with what they have. Whether they remain as friends or become a couple in the future is unknown, but no matter the end, the two will be happy with each other nonetheless…

They have a strong bond now, and it was something that neither of them want to break.

* * *

Author's note:

And that is the first Cat Nap Tail for you all to enjoy! Hope it was a good enough read for you all! I'm looking forward to writing more content involving Aizawa and Shino. There's not a whole lot out there, admittedly, so I'm happy to provide more content involving these two. Hopefully I'll be able to come up with more ideas for these two in the future. With the ideas the discord shared, I'm sure I'll be able to cook up a few decent oneshots. Got some more plans later on, including a new Domestic Heroes fic and fixing up more of Trials of the Tricksters. With that said, thank you so much for reading my new work. I hope you all have a wonderful time and I will see you in the next one.

Until next time, farewell, and remember: Go Beyond! Plus Ultra!


	2. Chapter 2

Welcome, heroes, to the next instalment of Cat Nap Tails. Got us a simple story here for you to check out. It's a bit on the small side, smaller than what I was expecting, but I think it turned out fairly well in the end. I'm enjoying writing about these two quite a bit and I can't wait to pump out more fics about these two sleepy cat lovers. With that said, enjoy the story, everyone and I will see you in the author's notes.

Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction in dedication to a much grander work. As such, the author does not own the rights to any characters within this story, and any correlation between any original characters that may appear and people in the real world are merely coincidental.

My Hero Academia: Cat Nap Tails

"Will you hurry and come to bed? The cat's waiting."

"Are we almost there yet! The rain's getting worse!"

"We are! It's just around the corner! You can see it right about now!"

"Oh thank god! I can't wait to get out of here!"

"No need to tell me twice! Now hurry up and get inside before we look even more like a pair of drowned rats!"

Shino couldn't help but let out a bark of laughter as she and Aizawa managed to reach the entrance to his apartment complex, the pair soaked to the bone as they entered. The two have been out at her favorite cafe, as was promised by the scruffy man before her, and just as they were on their way to UA, a sudden storm had arrived and hit them and any other poor pedestrian that was as unlucky as they were to be outside. With the school being so far away, the two would've been out in the rain so long they would've definitely gotten sick, if not worse, by the time they returned. Thankfully, Aizawa's apartment was nearby, and the two decided to book it to his place before they stayed out too long.

The telepath let off a relieved sigh as soon as her companion opened the door to his apartment and let her in. His home was a relatively simple, if not empty, little hovel with all the bare essentials that were needed and not much else; a home that fitted the underground hero Eraserhead perfectly. She had visited the place before, but they were few and far between since their ever growing friendship began. Aizawa had been slowly moving the very few belongings in his possession to UA shortly after gaining custody of Eri, and it was only a few short weeks before he was fully moved into the campus. The last few things that were left to take care of were a few clothes, a bit of furniture that he wanted to take, and a little furry companion with black fur and white paws that the man had found and started raising some time before UA became a live-in school. She heard from Hizashi that convincing the principal to allow the cat in had been quite the ordeal, but after a lot of convincing, and a pleading look from little Eri, the talking animal allowed the feline to stay in the student lounge so long as he didn't make too much of a commotion, which was quite adorable in her eyes.

After all, not many can say no to Eri when she starts acting cute.

"Sosaki, head to the shower and get yourself clean and warmed up. I got the clothes you left behind on your last visit here stored in one of the drawers there. I'll take mine after you're done," Aizawa spoke up, snapping the woman out of her thoughts as she saw her host point at the direction of the bathroom while drying his hair with a white towel.

"Oh yes, thanks, Aizawa. I need a shower to warm me up after that freak squall. I won't be too long. Promise," Shino thanked with some words of assurance in the end, getting a nod and grunt in response before booking it into the bathroom.

One quick shower later the woman emerged from the shower, feeling mighty refreshed and clad in a dark green tank top with a pair of black shorts in place of her black turtleneck, skirt and leggings. She was grateful that the man had kept her loungewear around just in case something like this happened. She was informed by him that he held clothes of his other friends and coworkers just in case they needed a place to stay, which made sense after seeing different sets of clothes for Hizashi, Toshinori, and even Nerumi and some other woman that she had yet to meet. When she asked about the other set of women's clothes, all she got for an answer was that they were from an old annoyance of his that wouldn't leave him alone, which got a laugh out of her in response. The man tried so hard to keep his true feelings hidden from others, but she was able to read him like a book, and couldn't help but let loose an amused smile as she made her way to the kitchen.

"...What are you smiling about?" Aizawa asked as soon as he saw her.

"It's nothing. Just some discoveries that I've made that were quite entertaining," Shino stated with a coy smile before pointing at the door she exited from with her thumb. "Bathroom is yours again. Thanks for letting me use it."

"Not a problem. Feel free to hang out on the couch if you want. Just watch out for Kuroyuki while you rest. She's kind of clingy right now, so don't be surprised if she suddenly shows up and demands attention." The tired man offered before entering the bathroom, missing the amused laugh that had manage to escape his guest's lips.

"Like I'm going to complain about having a cat's attention," Shino muttered while shaking her head, making her way over to a window before frowning at the sight of the severe storm that had gotten worse while she was showering. "...Looks like Aizawa and I aren't going anywhere today. Better let Kota and the others know."

One quick phone call to assure her nephew, teammates, and even Eri in place of Aizawa later, the young woman let off a sigh and slacked on the couch, as a curious looking black cat made its way towards her. An amused expression gracing her lips, Shino patted the empty space beside her, inviting the cat to rest with her. Almost immediately the cat hopped onto the couch and curled up on her lap, causing her to chuckle fondly at the affectionate bundle of fur. Scratching its neck, the woman let off a quiet, content hum, her eyes slowly closing as a wave of tiredness started to envelop her.

"If you want to nap, feel free to take the bed. Much more comfortable than the couch," A calm voice stated, causing her eyes to open slightly to see Aizawa, clad in a purple long-sleeved shirt and a pair of grey sweatpants, approached the drowsy woman with an obvious twinkle of amusement in his bloodshot eyes.

"Hmm... That sounds like a good idea. I think I'll do that. I already called our kids and my team, so we don't have to worry about them worrying about us," Shino agreed, a sleepy smile on her face as she slowly got up. "Are you going to take one as well? You're looking more tired than I am, that's for sure."

"That's the plan. I got my backup sleeping bag here, so I'll use that while you take the bed." Aizawa said before making his way over to the closet, only to stop when Shino grabbed him by the arm.

"You don't have to do that. We can just share the bed. It's pretty cool right now, so we could use some warming up." Shino suggested, getting surprised expression from the man. "What? We're both full grown adults here, not a pair of hormone-driven teenagers. We can control ourselves."

"No all couples are completely hormone driven. You've seen Uraraka and Midoriya." Aizawa muttered before turning fully to the surprisingly forward woman. "Are you sure you don't mind? You are aware of the implications of this, right? I know we've been getting closer lately, but is it ok?"

"I'm fine with it. I trust you. I just don't want you to have an uncomfortable nap in your own home. Besides, it's not the first time we've napped together." Shino said with a shrug, recalling the few times the two had ended up passing out against each other on occasion on days where they _really_ needed some sleep.

She knew what her friend was insinuating, and honestly, she didn't mind it. She was well aware of how close they were getting and, if she was honest with herself, she was liking where they were heading. It was still too soon to say where they were at currently or where they might end up in the future, but she was happy with what they had at the moment. Despite it, she was willing to push the boundaries a little to test the waters, and it appeared that the man was at least ok with the idea, but wanted to make sure they were both ready, which she appreciated.

The man can be sweet sometimes, even if he tried to deny it.

"...Alright then. If you're sure," The underground hero relented, scratching his face awkwardly as Shino grinned inwardly in victory.

"I am, now will you hurry and come to bed? The cat's waiting." The woman said while pointing at the bedroom, where a certain black cat had made its way over to the bed shortly after their talk started and was now sleeping soundly.

"Hmm. Well, can't keep Kuroyuki waiting then. Let's get going." Aizawa said with a small smile as he led Shino to his bedroom for some well earned rest.

As soon as the two made it to the bed, they were immediately hit with a wave of exhaustion. With Aizawa falling sleeping on his back with a load of pillows by his head and Shino slowly passing out on top of him with his hand on her back, the two were very comfortable with their position. With Kuroyuki resting nearby and purring loudly, the two were quickly lulled into a deep, relaxing nap, content hums escaping their lips as they succumbed to their well deserved rest.

"Hmm… Sweet dreams, Shota."

"Hnn… You too, Shino."

* * *

Author's notes:

And here we are. A short, sweet and simple work. Not much to say other than it being a somewhat continuation of the first chapter. Also, if you want to know how the two are looking like here in the end, just click on the cover art. Special thanks to my art friend Mika123 for making this piece. Really talented artist, she is, and I can't get enough of her work. Got more ideas in my head regarding these two, so be on the lookout for more! Until then, I hope you heroes have a wonderful day! You all take it easy, and I will see you in the next update!

Until then, farewell, and remember: Go Beyond, Plus Ultra!


	3. Chapter 3

Hello again, Heroes, to another instalment of Cat Nap Tails. Gotta admit, this one took quite a bit of time to pump out. I had this idea for a good while now, but it was, admittedly, pretty difficult for me to figure out how to go about it. It ended up being a bit different than how I initially planned out, but I think it was for the best. It actually helps with a story idea that I have planed for this collection in the near future. This piece also might feel a bit rushed, at least I think it does, but I hope you people will find it enjoyable nevertheless. With that, happy reading, everyone and I will see you in the end.

Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction in dedication to a much grander work. As such, the author does not own the rights to any characters within this story, and any correlation between any original characters that may appear and people in the real world are merely coincidental.

My Hero Academia: Cat Nap Tails

"She's not my lover. She's my annoyance."

"Alright, everyone it is timed to get smashed! The latest mission was a success, so we're celebrating in style! Next round's on me!"

"I like the way you think, Nemuri! Lemme handle the next batch then! I owe you and Mic for saving me from that Nomu anyways!"

"Gotcha, Ryuko! Now let's get this party started!"

"Hell Yeah!"

 _...Well those two are as boisterous as ever. Glad to see them looking so happy after everything that's happened._ Shino mused internally, a large mug of beer in hand and fond smile on her face as she watched the two off duty heroes cheer for their success.

It was rare for the telepathic hero to find herself in a bar these days, her free time usually spent raising her nephew after his parents passed away, but every now and again she was willing to indulge if the mood was right. This night in particular was a good one due to the fact that the Pussycats, along with a few other heroes, had managed to find and take out a large number of Nomu that had been spotted in the north. It was a close call, really, but thankfully everyone came out of the attack with only minor injuries and the creator of that batch of Nomu was quickly caught and locked up. As a result, it was decided that everyone should go out for drinks as a celebration for a job well done. Initially she was unsure if she could attend because of a lack of anyone who can watch over Kota at such a short notice, but a quick call from him asking if he can stay in the Heights Alliance dorm at UA with Izuku Midoriya had allowed her the chance to attend, much to the joy of her terakinetic partner and sleep inducing comrade in arms.

It also helped that a certain someone was also attending to the party as well, who looked like he wanted to be anywhere other than a loud bar filled with energetic soon-to-be-drunk off duty heroes.

"They are being way too loud here. We're gonna be kicked out if they don't stop." Aizawa grumbled as he sat next to Shino, who let off a quiet giggle at his displeasure.

"I'm sure they'll calm down soon enough." Shino assured, quirking an eyebrow when her seat companion let off a quiet scoff.

"Doubt it. Nemuri loves to drink and pushing others to drink. I've seen her force a whole mug down Hizashi's throat last time we were here. Yagi and I had to a lot of damage control because of that…" Aizawa said while pointing beside him, where the said blondes were slowly edging away from the obviously inebriated ladies while the remaining off duty Pussycats; Tomoko and Yawara, were grinning at the pair's discomfort

"Guess that explains why he looks so wary right now." Shino snickered, also amused by the look on the loud man's face, especially when he turned to her with a slightly panicked expression.

"Hey! Do you have _any_ idea how Nemuri can get when she's like this? She nearly drowned me in booze! I like a good drink and all but that was way too damn much!" Hizashi hissed, only to receive a hardy pat on the back from Yawara.

"We can relate, my friend. Ryu can get pretty rowdy herself after a few shots, as you can see, and she usually tries to get the rest of us to get as drunk as she is. Sadly, she has yet to get Tomo inebriated, though not through lack of trying." The tiger-themed hero joked while pointing at the emerald haired woman, who was grinning proudly at the statement while Toshinori stared at her with impressed shadowed eyes.

"Really? That's interesting. I had no idea you had a high tolerance, Miss Shiretoko. No offence, but you don't really look like a heavy drinker." Toshinori admitted after taking a sip of beer, eyes widening when Tomoko grabbed her own mug and chugged it all in a few seconds before grinning back at him with her normal exuberance.

"I've been drinking hard liquor for the longest time, Toshi! It takes much more than this to get me drunk! And I told you before that you can call me Tomo! We hung out enough times to be on a first name basis, haven't we?" The bubbly woman chirped, causing a sheepish chuckle and light blush to form on the man's face.

Shino couldn't help but smile softly at the powerless pair and their interactions. The two certainly had gotten closer since losing their respective Quirks, and she knew that while Tomoko was still upset with the fact that she wasn't able to go into the field anymore, the fact that she wasn't alone in that front helped her cope. While they don't spend time together as much as she did with Aizawa, the two did possess a strong bond regardless, and she was more than happy that her former teammate was in just as high spirits as ever. Even without their respective powers, the two were still so strong to be so positive despite their situation…

They were still heroes in her eyes, even if they didn't believe so anymore.

"Shino?"

"Hmm? Oh. Sorry, Shota. Just think about some things. Didn't mean to space out for so long," Shino assured with a small smile as soon as she saw her dry-eyed friend staring at her.

"You weren't out of it for that long. The others didn't notice. Is everything ok?" The man questioned, a hint of concern in his voice that made the telepath's smile to grow a little more in response.

"Everything's great. Really. I'm just happy that all of us were able to have some semblance of a break after everything that's been happening as of late." She said, her words prompting a grunt of agreement from Aizawa, the man taking a rather large drink before speaking.

"No kidding. With how much of a mess our country's been, I'm actually relieved that the resident manhunters invited us out for drinks. Been needing a break for a while… Despite how loud the women are being, i think I'm actually starting to rela-"

"HEY! ERASER! THAT YOU OVER THERE!?"

* _BAM!*_

"You got to be shitting me…"

"Shota! What the hell's gotten into you!?" Shino exclaimed, both worried and confused as soon as the normally calm and infallible Eraserhead suddenly slamming his head onto the table and grumbling up a storm of curses.

"Ah don't mind him. He does this often when Emi shows up, though only after taking a few drinks to loosen up." Nemuri laughed, getting chuckles out of her fellow teachers and looks of confused amusement from the Pussycats, before the R-Rated Hero began poking the Eraser Hero's head with a wide grin. "C'mon, lady killer, get up! Can't you show a little class? Your lover's on her way to see you, after all. This'll be a good chance to introduce her to your new 'friend' as well. Heehee."

"She's not my lover. She's my annoyance." Aizawa growled, not lifting his head from the table while Shino stared at him blankly as she processed his words. A moment later, she pounded a fist on her palm as a metaphorical lightbulb sprung atop her head.

"Oh! She's that woman that you were talking about when I stayed with you in your old apartment, right? The one who's clothes you keep around just in case she comes over?"

"Aww! You still have my old clothes! I knew you loved me!" A very cheerful voice exclaimed, causing Aizawa to groan even louder as Shino turned to see a cyan-haired woman with a wide smile and a sleeveless tanktop with a pair of shorts standing right beside her. "And it seems like you brought another woman to your home as well! Shame on you, Eraser, for bringing ladies to your abode behind my back! I thought we had something special!"

"What we have is a professional relationship and nothing more, Joke. And I swear, if you ask me to marry you again I will tie you up and mail you back to your academy so that your headmaster can deal with your crap…" Aizawa hissed, turning his head slightly to give the woman a glowing crimson glare.

"Woo. Some's super stressed today. You look like you could use a laugh. I'd use my Quirk on you, but you've already erased it." Emi grinned, getting another growl out of Aizawa before turning to the other members of the table with pride. "Glad to see you spending some time with your friends, though. You're even hanging out with the Wild Wild Pussycats. Your friend repertoire is growing more and more, Eraser!"

"...Would you like to join us? Our table is a little full, but I'm sure we can squeeze one more." Shino asked politely, wincing when she felt the glare aimed at her, this one mixed with a bit of betrayal.

"Nah, I'm good! I already spent my time here! Gotta get back and rest up for a day of patrol tomorrow! Maybe next time!" Emi suggested before holding her hand out at Shino, "The name's Emi Fukokado! Also known as the Smile Hero: Ms. Joke! And if my memory's right, you're Mandalay! The leader of the Pussycats!"

"Yes, that's me. Though when I'm off, I go by Shino Sosaki. It's a pleasure to meet another one of Shota's friends. I hope we can get along," Shino welcomed, taking the cheerful woman's hand and gave it a firm, friendly shake, causing Emi to burst out laughing once more.

"You call Eraser by his first name! That's hilarious! He only ever lets people call him by name when he's in a good mood, which is rare considering he's such a grump most of the time!" She grinned, her words causing Shino to giggle as well.

"Yes, he does tend to be pretty serious more often than not, but he has his moments of calm and happiness here and there, though they mostly revolve around his cat, naps, and his new ward as of late." Shino explained, jumping slightly when Emi suddenly let off a squeal of delight.

"Did you just say 'ward'? Are you telling me that Eraser's looking after a kid? _He's a_ _father now?_ " The laughing hero questioned with large, curious eyes.

"You bet your ass he is, Emi! Aizawa here is currently the proud owner of the cutest little girl anyone has ever seen! Hizashi, show her the pic!" Nemuri exclaimed, she and Ryuko swaying slightly as the alcohol began to further take over them.

"Already on it," Hizashi grinned, pulling out his phone and leaning over to Emi to show it, his hand conveniently on top of Aizawa's back and preventing him from getting up from the table.

"Hizashi, get your damn arm off of-"

"AWWE! Eraser she's so cute! No fair, why do you have to have her as your kid! She's too cute to be yours!" Emi cried, her voice echoing throughout the entire bar and causing the other patrons to turn to her in annoyance.

"Ah. Miss Fukukado. Can you please calm down. You're causing a scene," Toshinori spoke up nervously.

"Huh? Ah, sorry. Guess I had a little too much tonight," Emi laughed sheepishly as she handed Hizashi his phone back just as Aizawa managed to get the man off his back. "So, if Aizawa's this cutie's father, who's gonna be her mother? If there isn't anyone, I would proudly volunteer myself for the position!"

"Actually, I think Shino here has been doing a good job of being a good maternal figure to little Eri as of late. And Eri herself has taken a shine to Shino ever since she and Aizawa started spending more time together. It's quite adorable if you ask me," Yawara spoke up while pointing at Shino, who looked back at her teammate with a small smile while Emi quirked an eyebrow at the telepath.

"Oh? Really?" The cyan haired woman said slowly, causing Shino to look at her oddly herself at the tone the newcomer had.

"That's right! Ever since Shino introduced her nephew to Eri, the two of them would get together so that they could let the kids hang out! It's actually really sweet how the little ones interact with each other! And the way both Shino and Aizawa dote on Eri is just too cute!" Tomoko cooed, her bubbliness causing the other heroes to smile as well, with both Aizawa and Shino sporting light blushes on ther faces, while Emi let off a quiet laugh.

"That so? Guess that means Eraser's got himself someone special to help him out with his new daughter. Congrats on that." Emi said with her trademark smile, though Shino couldn't help but feel that it was slightly forced. "Well, best that I head out now. Got a lot of planning to do and not much time to get it done. We still down for that group training session with our students Eraser?"

"I have. I even asked the Pussycats here to see if they could volunteer for extra exercises. They've done a good job with my students at the training camp we had until it went to hell, as you know, so I'm sure your students will appreciate the extra aide," Aizawa stated gruffly, sounding the calmest he's been since Emi arrive and seemingly unaware of the twitch in his acquaintance's eye.

"Sure, Eraser! That sounds great! I'll be sure to let my class know!" Emi promised before turning towards the entrance to the bar with a wave. "Well, I'm heading off now! Try not to have too much fun here, Eraser! I know how clingy you can be when you get drunk! Can't have you suffocating poor Sosaki when you're both in bed because you decided to get all touchy-feely!"

"Actually, Shino's the cuddly drunk! And I can confirm that she gives the best snuggles! I'm sure Aizawa will be very comfy with her as his snuggle buddy for a night." Ryuko exclaimed with a loud cackle, her words causing a darker blush to form on Shino's face as she glared at her teammate hotly.

 _Thank heavens she doesn't know about Shota and I sleeping together in his old apartment. She'll never let it go if she catches wind about it._ Shino thought as she fought off her flush, side-eyeing Aizawa to see him staring at her blonde teammate in annoyance.

"Ooh. That's interesting. Seems like Eraser's found himself a real winner," Emi said with a grin, one that Shino noticed, once again, felt strained. "Alrighty then. I'm gone. Don't have too much fun, you hear! Catch you all later!"

With another wave and a laugh, Emi proceeded to leave the bar, with the others waving back to her as she departed. Once she was gone, however, Shino allowed herself a small frown to mar her face. She was a little confused by the actions of the smiling hero towards the end. As to why some of her smiles looked somewhat forced. She had an inkling of why that was, but she wanted to learn a bit more about her new acquaintance before coming to a conclusion. She seemed like such a nice person and had a good sense of humor. She didn't want to lose a friend just because they both had-

"C'mon, Shota, have another round! I'm sure some more booze will help turn that frown upside down!"

"Dammit, Nemuri, knock it off!"

"Lighten up, my man! You got two very beautiful ladies who are into you! You should be celebrating! Now hurry up and drown this bad boy!"

"It isn't like that and you know it! Now get that mug out of my face!"

"Hah! Not so fun being on the recieving end, is it?"

"Shut up, Hizashi!"

Shino couldn't help but laugh out loud with the rest of her peers at the scene before her. She never expected to come across the sight of three close friends around her age roughhousing with each other. It was something she'd normally see among teens and young adults, but it was good to know that her newfound friends could find time to have fun during these times. With everything getting more and more dangerous, moments of peace will become even more scarce. It was a harsh world that she lived in, but one that she still loved nevertheless. It was filled with people she come to care for so much, after all, and she was going to make sure that it was safe, no matter the cost.

Thoughts like that, though, were for another time. For now, she will allow herself this moment of respite and join in on the teasing of the man she was growing closer and closer to with each passing day. It's not often that the stoic Eraserhead was this easy to rile up, after all, and she was going to get as much mileage with it as she can get away with.

* * *

Author's Note:

And that, my fellow heroes, is that. Had a bit of fun with this piece. Hope I kept everyone in character for the most part. If it wasn't obvious, I'm not all that used to writing the adults of MHA, but they deserve to have time in the spotlight, especially since the next story will be focusing more on little Eri. I still had quite a bit of fun with this chapter regardless, however, and I hope that it was still a good enough read for you all. I also have something very special planned in the near future, so look forward to that! With that all said, thank you all so much for reading my stories. I wish you all a wonderful day and I will see you in the next update.

Until we meet again, farewell. And remember: Go Beyond. Plus Ultra!


End file.
